BERKELEY, Calif. -
California is already receiving high praise months before the start of the 2008-09 season. SportsIllustrated.com and ESPN.com ranked the Golden Bears sixth and seventh, respectively, nationally in their early looks at next season.

ESPN.com's Charlie Creme made predictions for a top 25. The Web site's top 10 features UConn at No. 1, followed by Maryland, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Stanford, Duke, Cal, Tennessee, North Carolina and Louisville.

Cal, which set a school record for wins with a 27-7 overall mark, finished the 2007-08 season ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press and No. 18 in the USA Today-ESPN coaches' poll. Led by first-team All-Pac-10 choices Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton, Cal returns all five starters next season.